Shock absorber



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' 1,564,227 PATENT OFFICE.

ERNST FLENTJE, 0F CAMBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS.

SHOCK ABSORBER.

Applieation ined Maren as, 1924. serial ne. 702,145.

To all whom z't may concern.'

Be it known that I, ERNST FLENTJE; a citizen of the United States, and resident of Cambridge, county of Middlesex, State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Shock Absorbers, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawing, is a specification7 like characters on the drawing representing like parts.

This invention relates to shock absorbers for automobiles of that type comprising a cylindrical casing adapted to contain oil or other liquid and secured to the frame of an automobile, a rotary piston or vane in the casing which is connected to the automobile axle so that when the springs flex the vane will be turned, and means for retarding the passage of the oil from one side of the vane to 'the other as it moves in the cylinder.

The objectV of the invention is to provide an improved shock absorber of this type having various novel features all as will be more fully hereinafter set forth.

In order to give an understanding of the invention I have illustrated in the drawings a selected embodiment thereof which will now be described after which the novel features will be pointed out in the appended claims.

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary perspective view showing a portion of an automobile with my improved shock absorber applied thereto;

Fig. 2 is a central sectionaly view through the shock absorber;

Fig. 3 is a section on the line 3-3,'Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary perspective view of the fixed partition in the cylinder.

My improved shock absorber comprises a cylindrical casing formed with the body portion 1 having a cylindrical chamber 2 therein which isv filled 'with oil, said casing being open at one end and the open end being closed by a suitable cover 3 which is screw-threaded to the body of the casing. Situated axially of the casing is a shaft 4 having rigid or integral therewith a vane 5 which forms the piston of the cylinder. This vane 5 extends from one end to the other of the chamber 2 and also has engagement with the peripheral wall thereof.

One end of the shaft 4 is shown as journalled in a bearing 6 formed in the bottom of the cylinder and the other end extends through and is journalled in the cap or A cover 3.

'Situated within 'the cylinder is a fixed partition member 7 which extends from the shaft 4 to the wall of the cylinder and' which, with the vane or piston 5, divides the interior of the cylinder into two compartments 10 and 11. A by-pass is provided forming a communication between the chambers 10 and 11. This by-pass may be either exterior to the casing or situated within latter and in the embodiment of the invention illustrated it is for'med in the fixed partition 7 and comprises the two ports 8 and 9. The piston 5 is also provided with a valved port or ports 12, said ports being normally closed by a spring-pressed valve 13, the stem of which extends through the piston and is acted on by a spring 15.

With this arrangement whenever the piston 5 moves in either direction the liquid in the cylinder will be forced through the by-pass ports 8 and 9 and when said piston moves to the left Fig. 3 the valve 13 will open so that liquid may flow through the ports 12 as well as the by-pass ports 8 and 9. When the piston 5 moves toward the right., however, the ports 12 are closed so that liquid can only pass through the ports 8 and 9.

The device is installed on the autombile by securing the cylindrical casing 1 to the automobile frame 14 and connecting the shaft 4 to the axle 15.

The cylindrical casing is shown as having two wings or ears 16 by which it may be secured to the frame 14 by means of bolts 17.

Any suitable connection between the shaft 4 and the axle 15 may be employed. In the construction herein shown said shaft has rigid therewith an arm 18 which is connected by a link 19 to a bracket or clamp member 20 that is secured to the axle, and with this arrangement it will be seen that as the automobile springs 21 Hex so that there is a relative movement between the axle 15 and theV frame 14 the shaft 4 will be turned thereby moving the piston 5.

The parts are so installed and arranged that when the spring 21 is compressed the piston 5 will be toward the left Fig. 3 and the movement of the piston will thus be relatively free because the liquid can pass from the chamber 10 to the chamber 11 through both theby-pass ports y8 and 9 and through the open ports 12.x When the spring 21 recoils, however, the piston 5 will be moved toward the right Fig. 3 and at this time the valve 13 closes automaticallyl so that the recoiling movement of the spring can only take place as fast as the liquid passes through the by-pass ports 8 and 9.

I have herein shown means for regulating the area of the by-pass ports8 and 9 thereby regulating the rate at which the liquid may be transferred from one chamber to the other.

. The fixed partition 17' is formed with a screw-threaded opening 22 which is in alignment with a screw-threaded opening 23 in the casing and a valve plug 24 is screw threaded into these aligned openings. This plug may be adjusted so that both ports are entirely open or it may be adjusted to partially or entirely close the port 8 and also to partially close the port 9. -The device, of course, would be inoperative unless-there was some by-pass communication between the chambers 10 and 11 and I have provided a construction, therefore, whereby thev vbypass ports can never be closed even when the plug 24 is adjusted to the inner limit of its movement. |I`he plug is shown as having a slotted extension 26 at its inner end which is so proportioned that when the plug is adjusted inwardly to a point where the exltension 26 bears against the inner end of the screw-threaded recess, this being the inner limit of adjustment, the port 9 will still be partially open. The extension 26 thus provides means for preventing the port 9 from being entirely closed.

The degree to which the ports 8 and 9 are closed depends somewhat upon the strength of the spring 21 and the manner in which it is desired that the shock absorbershould function. The ports will be opened to a greater extent when the device is used in connection with a relatively-light spring having a gentle recoil than when it is used in connection with a heavy spring having a violent recoil.

The openings 22, 23 also function as a filling opening as the cylinder may be filled with liquid or liquid may be added thereto by removing the plug 24 and then introducing the liquid through the openings 23, 22 and the ports 8 and 9. i

The rfixedpartition 7 is constructed with a peripheral flange 27 and with sectorshaped webs or flanges 28, 29 at the ends of the partition.l Said partition is secured in place by means of screws 30 which extendi through radial web or ange 28 and are screwed into the bottom of the casing, the latter having bosses 31 at the points ,where the screws are located and which serve to give added depth of material to anchor the screws 1n.

The flange or web 29 is formed with openings 32 through which a screw driver may be inserted to operate the screws 30. The screw-threaded plug 24.- also assists in anchoring the fixed partition in position.

The circular flanges 27 form a broad and extensive bearing for the fixed partition and serve to resist any lateral strain on said partition due to the pressure of the liquid thereagainst as the p1ston 5 is moved in one direction or the other.

In order to ensure a tight joint between the shaft 4 and the fixed partition 7 I may, if desired, form said partition with ya slot 35 in which is located a spring-pressed bar 33, the latter being acted on by suitable springs 34 which yieldingly hold it against the shaft.

The construction I have herein illustrated is relatively inexpensive to manufacture but is very effective in operation.

I claim,

1. In a shock absorber, the combination with a cylindrical casing, of a shaft situated axially thereof and having rigid therewith a radial vane or partition, a stationary radial partition separate from the casing and extending from said Shaft to the peripheral wall of the casing, said stationary partition having on each side curved flanges en-l gaging the peripheral wall and also having a by-pass port therethrough, and a screwthreaded member extending through the wall of the casing and into the radial partition and operating both to assist in holding the partition in place and to regulate theeective area ofthe by-pass port.

, 2. In. a shock absorber, the combination with a cylindrical casing, of a shaft situated axially thereof and having rigid therewith a radial vane or partition, a stationary radial partition extending from Said shaft to the peripheral wall of the casing, said partition having on each side curved anges engaging said peripheral wall and also having a bypass port therethrough, and means exteriorl of the casing for adjusting the effective area of said ports.

3. In a shock absorber, the combination with a cylindrical casing, of a shaft situated axially thereof and having rigid therewith a radial vane or partition,` a stationary radial ported partition extending from said shaft to the peripheral wall of the casing, said 

